Natasha O’Brien gained a platform after she publically spoke out about her vicious attack by Irish soldier Cathal Crotty in Limerick city two years ago.
When she was walking home, she stopped him from hurling homophobic abuse at another passerby before he attacked her, punching her repeatedly in the head.
Earlier this year, Natasha’s case made headlines after the judge handed Crotty down a three-year suspended sentence. After leaving the courtroom, Natasha announced that the system had abandoned her.
This sparked protests around the country as thousands marched in protest in Ireland’s main cities to demand justice for victims of gender-based violence.
At this year’s Hayu InstaStar Awards, Natasha received the Inspiration Award for her incredible work to raise awareness about gender based violence in Ireland.
Speaking to VIP Magazine on the night, she admits that becoming the voice of a movement is “nerve-wracking”.
“I’m speaking for so many. I have that responsibility. Walking red carpets and being on TV has given me major imposter syndrome. But I deserve to be here. I am showing up and I’m not going away. I’m using my voice,” she says.
“And I think it’s important to show that I can also put on a dress and have a good time. Because we can be passionate and stand up for what’s right while also having a good time.”
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This is where talk turns to the “perfect victim”. Something that Natasha is not. She’s not quiet or apologetic. She is here, like she said, to stay. She’s here to uplift not just herself, but everyone else who has been the victim of violence.
“The perfect victim isn’t getting dressed up and having a nice time at the InstaStar Awards,” she acknowledges.
“She should be at home crying in a corner, that’s not reality. We have to move on with our lives. I’m never going to be that girl again, I was completely destroyed and my life was turned inside out. I went into that courtroom, and it was horrific. I didn’t see the point in it, I didn’t see the point in life, to be honest.
“I just kept thinking, ‘What am I here doing?’ But when I had so much support, everyone rallied behind me, I knew I couldn’t be silent. So many people told me, ‘We have all felt what you’re saying.’ It was really empowering. Now I’m a completely new person again. I don’t recognise the person I was a few months ago, let alone two years ago. That girl is not coming back.
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“But I am now a girl who has learned some lessons and has a story to tell. And it’s not just about what happened to me. It’s about highlighting all the things we have to change. And that’s what I’m doing. I’m going to do the best that I can.”
So she’s proud of herself, isn’t she? She has every right to be. She’s sparked a conversation, a change, a movement that will grow and stand up for women.
“I’m proud of everyone. Am I proud of myself? I don’t know, it’s more like empowering. I’m proud of all the women and men of Ireland who are standing beside me. I’m not talking to a wall.”
She goes on to say: “I’ve been given a platform and I am so grateful for that. But I am speaking for more than myself. If I was I would just wipe my hands of it and go away. The reason why I even spoke up about it was because I didn’t want it to happen to another person. I lived 22 years of my life assuming that I would be minded and protected if anything bad happened to me.
“But then I found out that is not the case. I felt like I need to stand up and shout that we are not being protected, we have to look after ourselves. We have to demand that the work is done.”